Turning the Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)

Published in the August 2012 issue of the Record of the Free Church of Scotland

One feature of John’s Gospel is that he takes several incidents in the life of Jesus and presents them as pointers to his person and work. It is generally recognised that there are seven such signs in the Gospel, and we will look at each of them in this series. The seven signs are: (1) turning the water into wine (2:1-11); (2) cleansing the temple (2:13-22); (3) healing the son of the royal official (4:46-54); (4) healing of a lame man (5:1-15); (5) feeding of the multitude (6:1-15); (6) healing of a blind man (9:1-41); and the raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44). Together with the other details recorded in the Gospel, they are designed to achieve a particular goal, which John states in 20:30-31: ‘And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.’

Perhaps the only regular occasion when a sermon is preached on these verses in John 2 is at a wedding. The preacher may indicate that Jesus can help the married couple in ways similar to how he helped the couple in Cana. While such comments are appropriate at weddings, it is unlikely that was the reason why John included the incident in his Gospel. John saw in the details of what took place at the wedding a picture of what Jesus could do for everybody. The miracle is also a parable; while it was a particular wonder for the people at the celebration, the event is a sign for all who read about it.

The real humanity of Jesus

The first point to note about the incident is what it reveals about the real humanity of Jesus. John is concerned to inform his readers that the first event to which Jesus took his disciples was to a wedding. It was not the purpose of Jesus that his followers live in isolation, detached from the common features of life. Since Jesus and Mary were invited to the wedding, it is possible that it was a family wedding, which would explain why Mary seems to have felt some responsibility to do something about the lack of wine.

Further, the incident highlights for us the sympathy and sensitivity of Jesus for those in need. A Jewish wedding could last for a week, and it may be that the particular day on which Jesus went to it was the third day. It was the responsibility of the bridegroom to provide for his guests, and a failure to do so was regarded as shameful in the community. Since the wine ran out with no sign of any more being provided, it is likely that the couple were poor. The Saviour, out of compassion for his hosts, provided the wine in order to spare them future embarrassment.

Another aspect of his real humanity that appears in this incident is his humility. The story gives the impression that Jesus went out of his way to conceal that he was the provider of the wine. If the knowledge of what had taken place had become public, the Saviour would have been hindered from his divinely-chosen path. He knew that glory was ahead for him, and therefore he was able to wait for God’s timing. The humility of Jesus is one of the striking features of his character, and we should look for evidences of it in every situation described in the Gospels.

The futility of Jewish tradition

John informs us that there were six large jars there, each holding about twenty gallons of water which was used for Jewish ritual washings. Jesus asked the servants to fill the jars with water right to the brim. The usual interpretation is that Jesus then asked the servants to take the water from the jars and give it to the master of ceremonies. When he tasted it, he drank wine. The lesson then taken from the incident is that Jesus made lots of wine, enough to supply all the needs of the wedding feast, and perhaps enough left over for the married couple to sell and have some financial resources as they began their life together.

That interpretation may be true, but another one is also possible. The word ‘draw’ in verse 8 usually refers to water drawn from a well, indicating that possibly Jesus did not tell the servants to take water from the jars which had recently been filled, but instead told to go back to the well (which was probably nearby) and draw more water, which was then given to the master of ceremonies. The point illustrated by this second interpretation is that Jesus could do what the symbols of Jewish tradition could not do, even when they were filled to the brim. Their contents remained water in a situation that required wine, whereas in the situation he could change water in the well into wine.

In both interpretations, the miracle of Jesus was part of an enacted parable that illustrated his superiority in comparison with Jewish traditions. And by extension, he is superior to all kinds of useless traditions. So, the miracle was a sign that he had come to replace the impotent forms of human religion and replace them with the rich joy of divine provision in difficult human experiences. This was the glory of Jesus that the disciples saw, and which caused them to believe in him.

The discovery of Mary

Once the wine has run out, Mary knows what to do. Immediately, she tells Jesus about the problem. It is unlikely that she expected him to perform a miracle, because he had not done one previously (this one at Cana was his first). Probably she had experienced his resourcefulness in the home at Nazareth, and it had become almost second nature for her to tell her son.

We might regard the response of Jesus to her as strange, because merely to say ‘Woman’ in English sounds a bit formal and insensitive. Yet it was a common way for a woman to be addressed: Jesus used it when speaking to the woman of Samaria (4:21), to the woman caught in adultery (8:10), to his mother at the cross (19:26), and to Mary Magdalene at the tomb (20:15). It is evident that Mary did not find his words to be a problem, because she proceeded to tell the servants to follow his instructions.

Mary had come to a crisis moment in her relationship with the One who was her eldest son. He was informing her that a change in their relationship had occurred as a consequence of his recent visit to the Jordan, where he had been baptised by John the Baptist. He was now anointed with the Holy Spirit for his public ministry as the Messiah.

The answer of Jesus told her that from now on he would work according to his own timetable. He was now involved in a work that was of greater significance that the needs of their family and friends. Ahead of him was an hour the truth about which she was not yet ready to grasp, the hour when he would be lifted up on the cross as the Sin-bearer, which would be followed by his triumphant return to his heavenly home. Although he returned with her to their family home, it was no longer the place of his abode.

Like other disciples, Mary had to learn that Jesus is the one who decides when to do something and who should do it. Yet she retained the attitude that she had long since learned; she told the servants, ‘Whatever he says to you, do it.’ And she would say the same words to us.

The transforming power of Jesus

No doubt this incident points to many lessons that can be deduced from it. Yet one detail that stands out clearly from the account is the reality of the transforming power of Jesus. He changed a potential tragedy into a pleasant occasion of joy. Since John is using the miracle as a sign, we can read it as depicting what Jesus can do for us.

Firstly, the story informs us that Jesus can bring joy in isolated places. The village of Cana was not a prominent location in Israel. Yet it had the great privilege of being the place where Jesus performed his first miracle. When a person wants to bring change, he or she usually does not go to an unimportant place. Yet Jesus is different. He delights to work in unrecognised places.

Secondly, the story tells us that Jesus can bring joy to insignificant people. We are not told the names of the married couple or of the guests, apart from Jesus, Mary and the disciples. They would not have been listed in the ancient equivalent of Who’s Who. Although they were insignificant to others, they were important to Jesus.

Thirdly, the story reveals that Jesus can deal with insurmountable problems. I suspect a large groan went through the bridegroom’s heart when the last glass of wine was poured. He knew his own helplessness, his complete lack of resources. As far as he could see, all that was ahead of him was shame. In years to come, the villagers would talk about his moment of disgrace and pour contempt upon him. Yet Jesus came into the situation, and instead of the story of the man’s shame being passed down the centuries, we read the account of how Jesus dealt with the insurmountable problem in that man’s life.

Fourthly, the incident reminds us that Jesus can give joy in every situation. The words of the master of ceremonies to the bridegroom illustrate this great reality, although he should have used them of Jesus: ‘You have kept the good wine until now!’ A person at the moment of conversion can use these words about Jesus. He has exchanged the empty cisterns of whatever he was pursuing for the fullness of Christ. Now he has received forgiveness for his sins, he has been adopted into the family of God, and has become the recipient of great and precious promises. The Christian life extends before him throughout life as a pathway of joy from Jesus. Each step that he takes, he says to Jesus, ‘You have kept the good wine until now!’

Further, that same person will be able to use these words as he enters heaven and begins to experience the world of glory. As he gazes on the beauty of heaven, senses its pure atmosphere, notes its life-giving characteristics, and experiences its ranges of joy, he will say to Jesus, ‘You have kept the good wine until now!’